A Way of Life in the USA

56 Coyote Hunting Tips from the Pros

You may think coyote hunting is a sedate activity. Waiting out there with only crows to keep you company. But coyote hunting is beloved by many hunters for its sheer adrenaline rush.

If you want to maximize the possibility of a successful and exciting hunt, be prepared.

Put safety first. Being outdoors can be a great way to be with family and friends, but you have to take every precaution when firearms and wild animals are part of the package.

Keep your vehicle out of view. Sheen, reflection, gloss and even the car itself could make the coyote suspicious.

Always wear gloves. You can get excited about your prey, but coyotes are predators and susceptible to disease. When handling any wild animal, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Also, you want a pair of gloves that hold your position. When you see prey, your hands will need to move quickly and skin color could give you away. A good set of gloves can prevent that. Keep them thin and cool to avoid movement restriction.

Know the laws in the area. Hunting seasons and regulations vary state to state, and county to county. Some locales may require a permit. Others may have specific hours or borders.

Stay hydrated. You never can anticipate what could happen. Bring water and food. Bring high calorie snacks to replenish energy and stave off hungry. Avoid heavy foods because you want to keep your energy levels up in case you have to do some running.

Gas up. Make sure the tank is full before you leave and, if it’s less than half full before arrival, fill it up again. You can get lost, especially if you’re heading into unfamiliar territory, and you’d hate to hit empty in the worst place.

You may need a campfire. As it might get dark and cold, you want to keep fire starter materials on hand. If you’re not a boy scout, have reading materials on the best way to get a fire started. Many hunters have found out – to their frustration – it’s not as easy it looks. Also, keep a fire extinguisher on hand. There are small, almost deodorant sized cans on the market.

First aid. Have a complete kit with everything you could possibly need.

Make sure someone knows where you are. If you have a hunting partner, all parties should have told someone where you will be. Phones can stop working for inexplicable reasons. Give someone the directions or send them a Google Map of your location.

Clothes. While you want to go with a nice camouflage, you want gear that’s lightweight and breathable. Clothes should blend into the natural surroundings and not pick up twigs and sticks.

Shooting sticks. Shooting sticks have become essential gear for the hunt. It is believed the first time you use one, you’ll never hunt without them. They are more versatile than bipods and come with a range of features.

e-Callers and mouth callers. Electronic callers help you stay hidden by moving sound away from you. That way minor movements will not give you away as you prepare a shot. There are also a variety of mouth blown callers.

Using decoys. Coyotes are naturally cautious, but a good decoy increases the chance of pulling them into your field. If the decoy is associated with familiar sounds, you have them. If they don’t see anything, coyotes will move toward the sound source. If the decoy moves and the coyote determines its safe, they will attack the decoy.

Choice of weapon and ammo. You can read many articles on what’s the best weapon for coyote hunting. Most professional hunters go with an AR15 or a shotgun. But you should do your research and find one that fits your style.

Shooting chair or butt pad. Sitting outside with no support can put even the most enthusiastic hunter on the warpath. Pads and chairs offer a little comfort and the ability to move around as you get bored or limbs stiffen up.

Use a face mask. A lot of hunting gear comes with hoodies and a veil. You can buy a hunting mask. Either way, you need a way to blend your face into the environment. A coyote is more likely to see you first, especially if you shift position out of the shade into even a sliver of light.

Carefully scout your location. Get out early and survey the area. Make sure coyotes live where you hunt. If you are not seeing signs of life, like tracks, move elsewhere. Stay off private property without permission. If you do come across a friendly, ask them what they know about the hunting. And be polite. Clean up beyond yourself and report any problems you see to owners, like a broken fence.

Locating potential prey. This is different from scouting locations. Locating is getting out early and checking out stand locations. Try and elicit responses from area coyotes using a siren sound. It will help you find the perfect spot.
Google Earth. Online scouting has become a common tool for finding a good spot. Google Earth can help you find off the road sites like ravines, water holes and tree groupings.

Find a county recorder. If there’s a digital GIS for the county, use it to get land owner info. Otherwise, you may have to visit county offices to see if potential hunting grounds are on private property.

Habitation. Research the coyote lifestyle. They’re fairly adaptable as heck, known for living near large cities, in the desert, the forests and more. Knowing how they live and hunt will help you determine how to find and track them. They settle around ranches and farms for the cattle. Coyotes hunt for rodents near cows. Never shoot in the direction of livestock.

Look for deer in coyote areas. Coyotes prey on deer. Many hunters follow deer herds for the coyotes. But it’s not always the case, so don’t depend on it.

Look for bodies of water. All animals need water. Wherever there’s water in a coyote’s home ground, there’s a greater chance of finding one. Find lakes and ponds on Google Earth and check them out.

Tracking the prey. Familiarize yourself with coyote tracks. They are narrower than a domestic dog’s. Old tracks (scats) will be dry and white. Fresh tracks are dark and have flies.

Coyotes are always on the defense. It’s one of the reasons it can be so thrilling to hunt them. They notice anomalies and will avoid what looks suspicious. Outside of attacking prey, they avoid open spaces, hiding much like you will be.

Agricultural fields. Coyotes will always prowl farmlands. In fact, farmers can provide great intel on the best places to find a coyote.

Hunting with someone. Never assume you’re all on the same page. Limit conversation. Set up a stand area rundown of hazards, livestock, human activity and areas to avoid shooting towards. Set up fields of fire and who gets first shot. Know before you get out the car who sets up the call and decoy. No conversation unless necessary or you don’t care. Coyotes are likely to move away from areas with lots of unfamiliar sounds and activity.

Tread carefully. Walk single file so that multiple scents don’t linger. If you make a sound, wait before proceeding.

Keep it down. Never drive through a stand. Limit noise and the scent around your stand. Do not slam car doors or make a lot of sound when moving and preparing. Move slowly and to a minimum, avoiding gesticulation. Animals have better eyesight than you and any movement can trigger a wave of animals running away from you.

Know where the wind blows. Coyotes use smell to survey their surroundings. If you’re downwind, they’ll smell you long before you see them. Before final setup, always check the wind. Remember, it can change at any time. Coyotes tend to come downwind and continue to move in that direction. Know where downwind is at all times. If you are going to shoot, it has to be before the prey catches your scent in the wind.

Sun direction. Put your back to the sun as coyotes will have a harder time seeing you if they have to look toward the sun. You facing the sun? Not only will they have less trouble spotting you, but you may have more trouble catching them in your line of vision.

Scents. Some hunters swear by them. Others believe a scent only makes you smell like you’re using a scent. A coyote’s sense of smell is its greatest weapon. Layering odors will not confuse them. Even if it did, the result will be the same. The coyote will avoid you.

Skylining. To skyline yourself is to have the sky behind you, making you easier to see. Avoid cresting hills and definitely never set up at the top of a hill, a common newbie mistake.

Find out about stand selection. Stands are unique and personal. Your stand will significantly impact the hunt. Some hunters will use a stand length of 15 to 20 minutes, others 30. Go with what makes you comfortable or necessary.

Quietly chamber a round. Do it after you’re set up. Many a newbie has discovered they didn’t … when it’s too late.

Camouflage. Before getting into the stand and calling, have all your camo gear on.

Shade is your pal. Whenever possible, take advantage of the shade. Most animals cannot visually distinguish a figure in shade, whereas daylight will let animals pick up the slightest movement or reflection. And be careful with your emergency signal mirror and the sun.

Keep your outline clear. Shrubs, bushes and trees should be behind you. Avoid resting on trees or bushes as they’ll break up the outline. Objects in front of you can interfere with visibility or opportunity to adjust shooting sticks.

Power up. Make sure your remote and caller are on before sitting. Many hunters forget and have to get back up, turn it on, go back. Get in the habit of routinely turning your tools on.

Choose your e-call distance. You need to decide how far to set the caller. Hunters go up to 200 yards away and snipe with a yote. Take note the further the caller, the further your shot is likely to be. The further the caller, the greater chance you’ll leave a scent line.

Set your decoy distance. Decoys should be set within three feet of your caller. Use a branch or dirt pile in open fields as this can prompt prey to attack the decoy or call.

Direction of your caller. No hard or fast rules here. Your best bet is to face it in the direction you believe a coyote will emerge from.

Sound selection. Selections can vary based on locations and seasons. Choose sounds to pique predator curiosity. Animal distress calls can get good results. Volume: many hunters start low and gradually raise the volume, giving coyotes the idea it’s getting closer to some prey. Fidget with the amount of time you play sounds. Some hunters go with a few minutes, others 15. But you do want to play, stop, wait and repeat. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to switch sounds. Don’t become a radio station though. Stick with two or three.

Mouth calls. Many hunters still prefer to do sounds the old fashioned way. Mouth calls are a science and you have to learn the techniques. This includes not just creating sound but knowing how to move so that you don’t scare coyotes away.

Howling. Howling is another traditional art for attracting coyotes. There are professional hunters that rely on it. Most use it in conjunction with other techniques.

The reed. Closed reeds are the easiest type of call. Blow and you have a distress call. Open reeds require practice to master. More versatile than a closed reed, you can get distress calls, howls, barks and more. Whatever you choose, make sure you’re going to get an emotion out of the predator that brings them in.

Squeekers. It’s the rare hunter that uses only squeekers to seal the deal. It’s more likely a squeeker will be used in combination with some of the above tech for attracting prey.

Learn to be still. Even the slightest movement can send a far away coyote running. You have to minimize movement. A coyote is going to avoid being seen as much as you want to avoid being seen. Seeing it first – before scaring it off because you scratched you chin – is always going to be a challenge.

Don’t jump the gun. Hunters that get overexcited about the approach always screw it up. Let the decoy do its job. It will take attention off you. This will give you the time you need to adjust your weapon.

Move carefully with the coyote. If you do see a coyote seeing you, be still. It will eventually start moving again. You can then carefully reposition. Move only when the coyote is moving. They are surveying the area, assessing your call and waiting. Just like you.

Closing in on you. If a coyote happens to work its way in, be patient and let them. Carefully set up your shot and be ready to take it. Don’t wait for the perfect shot. It may not come.

Looking back. Coyotes focus on what’s ahead. If they’re looking back, it usually means they’re moving with other coyotes. Play your cards right, you might bag more than one. But always go for the lead first.

Knowing when to walk away. If you do lose a prey, wait patiently before leaving. You can always return with a different approach. Never shoot out of range. Miss and that coyote’s not coming back.

Control your breathing. You’ll get better at this with experience. When the adrenaline gets going and the excitement pumps, it might be difficult to get a shot or to hit the target. Calm is your greatest asset.

Avoid taking moving shots. Instead of the difficult shot, try to get the prey to stop moving. Mute the call, bark or squeek. If you believe you absolutely have no choice, go for it. But a moving target is hard to hit.

Be ready to be flexible. No matter how you prepare, hunting is going to force you to adapt. You can study coyote behavior, but you can never predict it. You can scope out the perfect spot, show up and realize it’s not as perfect as you imagined. You may need to switch to a shotgun, which is going to require a much faster reaction. Just be ready to move!

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